Sharing some helpful thoughts for women in the work world or those pondering going back to work from Elisabeth Elliot and Carolyn Mahaney:
“Because I want to be faithful to what Scripture does say I often refer to that passage which tells me, as an older woman, what I am supposed to say to younger women: Titus 2:3-5. But, they want to know, is it wrong for a single mother to work? Is it wrong for a woman who has no children at home to work? Is it wrong for a woman to work because her husband insists on it? The last question is not quite so difficult, since a wife must submit and trust the results to God. I cannot answer the first two. So, for you who so far have found it necessary to work I want to offer some encouragement and comfort.
1. “My God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19, NIV). Just remember that God must be the judge of your needs. Being wise, powerful and loving, He can be fully trusted to do just what He says.
2. You only know what you have to do today. None of us knows the future. Be faithful today–do your work faithfully, thoroughly, honestly, and gratefully. “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving” (Colossians 3:23-24, NIV).
3. Be a lady. Betty Greene, pilot during World War II and later with Mission Aviation Fellowship, told me, “I made up my mind if I was to ‘make it in a man’s world,’ I had to be a lady.” A true lady is recognized and respected by men. Keep your honor, your distance, and your close touch with God. He will protect you.
4. If you are truly abandoned to the Lord, He will show you if/when He has a different assignment for you. Stay in touch with Him.”
3 Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, 4 and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.
~Titus 2:3-5
Thank you for sharing this. I am a wife, mother, and work full time outside of the home. I greatly desire to come home but unfortunately to put food on our table I have to work. I’m thankful I married a man who does not want to rely on the government to meet our needs. He works so very hard everyday and is constantly applying to new jobs that would provide an income to bring me home. I know that not only I struggle trying to be both employee and homemaker but he struggles that he can’t provide for us. I have read several posts before that condemn women and men for this and each time I leave that blog feeling defeated and doubting my trust in God. We have been praying earnestly for 2 years and now our 3rd baby is due in October and my mother who keeps our other 2 at our home can’t physically watch 3. I have been really discouraged lately and really needed some encouragement. Numbers 3 and 4 stood out to me. I know that I need to complete my tasks (even though overwhelming) to glorify God and that I don’t know what God’s plans are. We have seen Him work miracles before and I know that He can still do as He pleases. All of this to say, thank you for encouraging me to keep trusting God.
This is a great article! With the empty nest fast approaching on us, I am going to use this as a reference in my pondering of what, if anything is next.